Creating CharacterPhotography, Writing & Gardening

June Foliage Follow Up

2010-06-16T19:34:00.006-04:00

I'm featuring some variegated plants for Foliage Follow Up hosted by Pam at Digging ...

such as this Variegated Ginger - not sure what kind, it was a passalong plant.

This Tricolor St. John's Wort survived the terrible winter with no problems.

One of the caladiums in a bulk package from a box store.

This nameless hydrangea has variegated leaves and flowers.

I know these leaves aren't variegated, but I had to show off the beautiful stems of this black-stemmed hydrangea - another passalong plant.

Check out more fabulous foliage at Digging.

June GBBD

2010-06-15T20:34:00.006-04:00

I'm joining Carol and the gang at May Dreams Gardens

for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day

with some cheerful June blooms ...

First is the lovely Lady in Red Hydrangea,

followed by Forever and Ever Peppermint Hydrangea,

a happy sunflower,

a bright Butterfly Gladioli,

some Shasta Daisies, Chaste Tree blooms,

and an Irish Eyes Rudbeckia and a fuzzy Stoke's Aster.

I'll check out what's blooming in your garden at May Dreams Gardens!

Green World

2010-04-21T19:52:00.007-04:00

Today - actually tonight at 11:59 - is the deadline for the

April Picture This Contest on Gardening Gone Wild.

Nothing like waiting till the last minute, huh?

Rob Cardillo, the judge this month, has chosen the theme "Green World"

and he wants bloggers to spotlight "green's infinite range of personalities".

As a professional photographer for major gardening publications, businesses

and landscapers, he is definitely familiar with green worlds and their personalities.

I wasn't planning on entering this month because I couldn't find just the right picture.

The stems of the fallen blooms on the Silverbell Tree (Halesia sp.) look like
tiny arms reaching out to the world - but this wasn't what I was looking for.

The male flowers of the Podocarpus bush hold a

world of new plants, but it still wasn't right.

Then I saw the new buds on the Oakleaf Hydrangea

and knew I had found my entry! I don't think I have really noticed them before

at this stage - tiny worlds ready to burst forth into a whirlwind of white blooms.

Hope you enjoyed my green worlds. Stop by Gardening Gone Wild and

check out all the other fascinating green worlds.

April Foliage Follow-Up

2010-04-16T20:02:00.005-04:00

There is a lot of new growth in the garden

but I just chose a few pictures for Foliage Follow-Up.

So much is coming up and getting new growth and blooming,

that it is hard to keep up with it all.

I love the way the center of Bird's Nest Fern (Asplenium) looks

when the new fronds begin growing.

I'm not sure what the blue succulent is,

but I'm pretty sure the green one is Coral Reef Sedum.

The Golden Barberry (Berberis aurea) must have liked

the cold winter - it is brighter and fuller than usual.

I use Tri-Color St. John's Wort as filler in my perennial beds.

This one is low-growing and spreads slowly.

I need to thin out the Parrot's Feather in the pond

or the poor goldfish won't have anywhere to swim.

Hope you enjoyed this sampler of foliage from my garden.

Check out the foliage in other gardens at Digging with Pam.

April GBBD

2010-04-15T12:13:00.006-04:00

I didn’t realize how hard it is to keep up with a blog. I don’t seem to have any time or energy left after gardening and doing things with my daughters and grandsons. Oh yeah, I do some house cleaning and cooking too, when I can’t get out of it.

Anyway, with being busy, having an icky virus and some family problems, I haven’t managed to actually write any blogs lately. At least not online, although I have done plenty in my head while in the garden or otherwise occupied.

But I made it for April Gardener Bloggers’ Bloom Day hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. Here are some pics of blooms that have come and gone, and what is blooming now.

The wind has already blown away the dainty blooms of the Siverbell Tree (Halesia). The blooms on the Yoshino Cherry Tree are gone too - this was the first year it was full of blooms; there usually are only a dozen or so.

The pink Lorapetalum is still going strong. I have one white Lorapetalum, but the picture didn't come out very clear.

Fringetree or Old Man's Beard (Chionanthus virginicus) grows in the woods in this area. I love its spring time decorations.

I bought this native azalea several years ago in Georgia, but I lost the tag (of course), so I don't know its name.

Lousiana Irises also grow wild in the ditches here. I have them planted in several areas of the garden.

The blooms on the Hartlage Wine Sweetshrub (Calycanthus) are a gorgeous deep red color. It seems like they are blooming early this year.

I added this picture just for Dave of The Home Garden. I have had this creeping phlox for more than 20 years. I got it from my husband's grandmother, who called it "thrift". I still do sometimes.

Be sure to check back soon – I hope to have more articles posted today or tomorrow. And don’t forget to visit Carol for more April blooms from bloggers around the world.

March GBBD

2010-03-15T09:45:00.008-04:00

The plants know it is almost spring and are showing out for

March Gardener Bloggers Bloom Day, hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

Here's some my first spring blooms.

Japanese Magnolia 'Jane' is in full glory.

Japanese Magnolia 'Rosea' is a new addition and is just starting to bloom.

Red Buckeye

And, of course, the daffodils. Stormy the cat is checking them out too.

Other plants that are blooming:
Hyacinths
Azaleas
Rosemary
Creeping Phlox

Be sure to stop by May Dreams Gardens to see what else is blooming.

Five Things

2010-02-26T14:48:00.006-05:00

Dave at The Home Garden asked us to talk about 5 garden projects we want to do this year. The assignment is due today, and I am almost late as usual. The next assignment is to write about garden chores we have been putting off. Guess I’ll have to list blogging as one of those.

Let’s start with an easy project – the new Japanese Maples. I snagged these two Tamukeyama (Coral Bark) maples at the end of the season last year for $10 a piece. Yep, you read that right. They were in the sun, stressed, and one had been dumped out of the pot and lost half the soil, so the manager let me have them cheap.
I planted them in partial sun with a dwarf gardenia that never grows and hardly ever blooms. I started planting a ring of ‘Citronelle’ Coral Bells and ‘Red October’ Hostas, but I ran out of plants. I think that is what they are, since I didn’t label them and my plant labels are all jumbled together. (Note: add organizing labels to things I have been putting off)
I want to finish the ring of Coral Bells and Hostas and edge the bed with some river rock to match the nearby bed of ferns. That should be easy.

We have been growing a few veggies in pots, but I decided I wanted a raised bed this year. We were going to buy the lumber to build one, but the power company offered us the old pole they replaced in our yard and another one. Of course, we said yes, and Michael used the chain saw to cut short pieces for the ends. (The pole in our yard was at least 26 years old and the other one looked older, so I don’t think there is any danger of creosote poisoning)
We bought a trailer load of potting soil mixed with mushroom compost and filled up the veggie bed. We even have enough for a strawberry bed – that’s the third project. Again, we have been growing strawberries in pots but there are so many now, I think we need a bed. Too bad we can’t get some more poles – guess, we will have to buy the lumber this time.

This is the Japanese Garden, an ongoing project. Of course, I want to plant more Japanese Maples, but the main project is the bed on either side of the screen at the back of the garden. I can’t decide what to plant there – each bed is about 8 feet long and 3 feet wide.
I bet you are wondering why there is a bed there. Because a pile of plywood lay there and killed the grass. Since the grass was dead anyway, I decided to plant something I wanted there. But I can’t decide what I want. Any suggestions?

We started this project last summer. There were huge azaleas growing around this tree and a tree at the other end of this bed. They blocked the view of the Japanese Garden, which is to the right of this shot. So, they had to go. You can see them piled up behind the tree.
Wow, what a difference it made! I felt like I had gotten rid of a black hole. Let’s face it, azaleas are pretty when they are blooming, but they are just big blobs the rest of the year.
I had started a Yellow Garden in front of the azaleas to lighten them up but it didn’t really work. Now I have extended the bed around the trees where the azaleas were and I am slowly adding more plants. I want to add some low growing shrubs with yellow or gold foliage for structure, because almost everything in the bed is a perennial right now.

So there you have 5 – I didn’t even tell you about adding more grasses and perennials to the Grass Garden along the fence, or making a Chocolate and Caramel Garden, or planting trees and shrubs that stand wet feet in the back yard, or …. Well, you know how it is. So what are you planning to do this year? Tells us your plans and leave a link for Dave at The Home Garden.

Magic and Whimsy in the Garden

2010-02-19T08:48:00.021-05:00

Dave at The Home Garden has been thinking about
what makes a garden magical and he has asked his fellow bloggers for
their thoughts. I immediately knew the answer for me, but it took a
long time to get it into words. Hope you enjoy it!

When I started
gardening I made long narrow L-shaped flowerbeds on either side of
the driveway and the parking area. I filled them with flowers and
shrubs I liked with no particular plan or design. The flowers were
pretty but the design was – well, it was boring, there was no magic.
So I made changes – big changes. I made the bed on one side of the
driveway into a large square garden with a pond in one corner. And I
made the other side into a larger garden with a patio and another
pond in the middle. Notice the difference – I got rid of the
flowerbeds and developed gardens with a basic plan (subject to change
at any time).

I bought this statue of a dancing girl because it reminded me
of my daughters. She is currently dancing in the Hydrangea Garden.
Then I discovered garden ornaments – the magic of birdhouses, gazing
spheres and other things. I had collected knick-knacks for the house
for years until I got tired of dusting them. When you put knick-knacks
outside,the dust is part of the charm.
Then I began creating one-of-kind garden art from thrift store and yard
sale finds. Soon I had a jumble of items amidst the plants and I didn’t
really like the way it looked, but I didn’t want to get rid of anything.
There was no magic, just a mess. I needed a plan.

Who would expect to find a shiny gazing ball in the crotch of a tree?

One day I saw some pictures of some theme gardens in a magazine. And I
realized that I could create theme gardens based on my garden art. So
the square garden by the driveway became the Dragon Garden with a dragon
overlooking the pond. The other side of the driveway is divided into
five gardens separated by paths, each with its own theme.
The magic was back!

My husband made these flowers out of old horseshoes to go Dragon Garden,because its color theme is brown.

Five gardens separated by paths line this side of the driveway and parking area. One garden encircles a patio complete with table and chairs. Another garden contains a small pond with a waterfall, a bamboo fountain and spitting turtle.

I love plants – their texture and shape of the foliage and flowers and

berries and bark. But I am a gardener and lots of other people

don’t really understand my fascination with plants.

But they are enchanted by the hidden treasures in my garden, such as …

a spangly blue ball hanging from a hook …

a giraffe taking a break next to some hydrangeas …

buckets of sedums in my grandsons’ old wagon …

a basket full of mosaic balls …

an old-fashioned water pump and kettle planted with sedums …

and a monkey playing in the Tropical Garden

To me, the magic of a garden is anything that causes someone to smile –
a plant or garden art or a child discoveringhidden treasures.
What do you think?

The Tropical Garden even has a beachside café.

Thanks, Dave, for the chance to show the magic and whimsy in my garden.

Be sure to visit The Home Garden for more magic in the garden.

February Foliage Follow-up

2010-02-16T09:54:00.007-05:00

This is my first time participating in Foliage Follow-up.

It has made me look at my garden in a whole new way –

focusing on interesting foliage, instead of looking for flowers.

Spinach and lettuce for the new veggie bed Michael just built for me.

This Resurrection Fern may have to learn how to come back to life

after drowning too, if it keeps raining here.

Coral Reef Sedum growing on a stump.

The squirrels have been piling up the hickory nut shells and husks

since the weather has gotten cold.

I think theses are the seeds on the Japanese Fatsia (Fatsia aralia).

Has anybody tried planting them to see if they would grow?

I am thinking about trying it.

I call this “Bob’s grass” because my cousin, Bob, gave it to me

and he didn’t know the name of it. I think it is a Miscanthus.

It is gorgeous all year, but especially in the winter.

You can just see the buds on the Japanese Magnolia

in the background on the right.

You can see more fabulous foliage at Foliage Follow-up by visiting Pam at Digging.

Gardener Bloggers' Bloom Day

2010-02-15T08:25:00.009-05:00

You would think since February Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is so close to Valentine’s Day, I would have some heart shaped flowers. But I don’t, so I will have to just be happy with the few things that are blooming.

Pale pink hyacinth just opened – I couldn’t

find the label so I don’t know what it is.

Purple hyacinth trying to open – still couldn’t find the labels.

A single azalea bloom – it is so small I almost missed it.

Blooms on the strawberry plants in the greenhouse.

This poor Gerber daisy has been

struggling to bloom for a couple of weeks.

Be sure to check out what else is blooming

on Gardener Bloggers’ Bloom Day

with Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

At least the sun is shining ….

2010-02-13T11:57:00.005-05:00

Yesterday Jan at Always Growing was wishing for some sunshine because the weather in Louisiana has been “rainy, damp, cold and gray for weeks.” I think the same weather has been sitting over North Florida too.

One of my "rain chains". I wasn't sure if I really wanted one, so I bought 3 hanging-thingees from a dollar store and hooked them together. Then my hubby hung them from the gutters. The water does run down them but, of course, they don't make any sound because they don't have cups to hold the water. It is about 3 feet long altogether.

It rained all day yesterday and was windy and cold – the high only reached 40 degrees. We got 1 ½ inches of rain and the river has come up about a foot. It is still below flood stage though, so maybe it won’t flood again.

But today the sun is shining. It is only supposed to get up to 49 degrees and it is windy … but the sun is shining! I hope it is shining on Jan too.

The sun shining on the water sitting in the backyard. Most of the back is too soggy to walk on.

I enjoy reading Always Growing because Jan grows lots of the same plants I do. It will be interesting to see how different plants survive the Florida cold and the Louisiana cold. Her agapanthus is already growing new leaves, but mine isn’t. So is her mint, but mine is still hiding. But both of us have daylilies and bulbs coming up, new growth on hydrangeas and lorapetalums blooming.

If you get a chance, drop in on Jan at Always Growing, see what is going on in Louisiana and wish her a sunny day.

happy spring

2010-02-07T16:09:00.002-05:00

happy spring
Originally uploaded by Creating Character

I’ve been playing with my Bamboo Tablet again. It is made by Wacom and is a photo editing tablet. Since it has a pen and a tablet, it is easier to manipulate than a mouse. However, the tablet can also be used as a mouse, either with your finger or the pen. The Bamboo Tablet is basically a hobbyist version of the more professional Wacom tablets, at a much more affordable price. I am sure that the higher priced versions have more benefits, but they weren’t what I needed. In my mind, anyway.

I have spent a lot of time fooling around with the tablet, but I still don’t know very much about it. It came with Photoshop Elements 7 and I don’t know the program very well. I have been searching for different things online, and I have found a book that I would like to get. Books a Million didn’t have it, and I haven’t had extra cash to get it from Amazon, so it will have to wait a little longer. Until then, I will just practice.

This picture took me quite a while to complete. Then, when I was completely done, I decided that the text should have been a little darker, but it was too late by then! Anyway, what do you think? Mom, recognize those flowers?

I planted 42 trees this morning!

2010-02-05T11:11:00.004-05:00

Now, let me explain, before you start calling me crazy!

I decided that we needed to cut some of the big old limbs out of the Redtwig Dogwood. So Michael cut 8 or 10 limbs off about 6 inches from the ground. Some of limbs were almost 3 inches in diameter and 6 feet long or longer.

Redtwig Dogwood flowers. It is also called Red Ozier Dogwood.

I cut the small ends and smaller side limbs off to root in the backyard, which is pretty wet right now. There is a small sinkhole back there and I don’t like to mow around it – I won’t but Michael will. I stuck 42 “cuttings” in the ground around the sinkhole. The “cuttings” were from 2 feet to 4 feet long and I pushed about a foot of each one in the dirt.

Will it work? I don’t know, but I thought it was worth a try. We had been trying to decide what to plant around the sinkhole anyway so we wouldn’t have to mow there. It would be great if most of them rooted, but if only a few root, then that’s less plants I will need to buy.

This picture was taken in 2008 before an oak tree fell on it and broke about a third of the limbs.

Redtwig Dogwoods seem to be pretty hardy. Mine has survived a flood, drought, temperatures in the teens and above 100 degrees, and a tree falling on in it.

Happy Birthday!

2010-02-04T10:20:00.006-05:00

Last week was my birthday. I turned 32!! Can you believe it? I really didn’t want to pass the 30 mark, but my life hasn’t changed a whole lot since then. I was having a really bad week, because I thought that no one had remembered my birthday. No one had mentioned it at all, and we always have dinner at my mom’s house on all of our birthdays. She hadn’t said a word, and I knew she wouldn’t wait until the last minute, so I was getting kind of stressed out. No one loved me anymore! What was I going to do?

My hubby and kids told me I could order a Bamboo Tablet for my birthday, so I did. It was supposed to arrive on the 2nd, several days after my birthday, but I was too cheap to pay for expedited shipping, so that was my own fault. I was really excited, too, because I’ve wanted one for a while. For those of you that don’t know, a Bamboo Tablet is a tool to work with photographs.

Thursday morning arrives. My husband told me happy birthday when he got up. My dad called me and woke me up to tell me happy birthday. My oldest son came in to tell me when he was getting ready. My sis texted me. Then I got online and my mom told me. No one forgot me after all. My youngest son is always in a hurry to get to school, so he didn’t tell me until I went to pick him up.

When I was online, I told my mom that I had ordered the Bamboo Tablet from hubby and the kids. She asked what I was going to do with two of them, and like an idiot, I didn’t get it. She ordered me one too! But she ordered the next level up, so we all decided to keep it and send the one that I ordered back. When they credit my account back, I’ll go buy some new books or something like that.

So, instead of working on anything else on Thursday or Friday, I spent my entire day playing with my Bamboo Tablet. See what I did? Pretty cool, huh? I'll be working on some more here, but it takes me a while because I'm not really familiar with Photoshop too much, and the tablet works with Photoshop. I have to say the effect turned out rather nicely, even if I am complimenting myself. :)

Still Rising

2010-01-31T08:55:00.003-05:00

The Alapaha River is still rising this morning here and just north of us. We only got ¼ of inch of rain yesterday, which surprised me because it rained hard a couple of times. Looks like north us there was ¼ to ½ inch of rain. Hopefully this means that the river will slow down some - it is still rising about a foot every 24 hours.

I took these pictures yesterday about noon yesterday. I didn’t have time to go back later, because I had some errands to run and then we had a birthday dinner for our daughter, Marsanne. Just grilled hamburgers, chips and Ghiradelli double chocolate cupcakes, but everybody ate too much.

Here you can see how fast the water is moving through the run from the river. It has eroded the side of the road and formed a small waterfall.

This picture shows how the water is flowing down hill to the dip in the road and spreading out into the woods on either side. See the Century 21 sign on the right side? Wouldn’t you like some waterfront property?

This is just down the road from our house around a curve. The left side is low all the way back to the curve. The right side rises suddenly right beside the run so the water is forced downstream. According to my husband the water has to fill up the low area on the left side of the road and back up the road to the curve. At the curve the water starts flowing back across the road to the right side and fills up the low area on that side. We live on the right side so the water will eventually reach our backyard if the river keeps rising.

I don’t know if this makes sense. It is hard to explain that we don’t get flooded by the river right behind our house because the bank is so high – like a cliff, actually. The water overflows at a lower point and backs up to our house, which is lower than the riverbank here. That is the main reason the water doesn’t drain away when the river level drops – we are in a low spot and the water has nowhere else to go.

Anyway, the water hasn’t reached us yet and maybe it won’t. But more rain is predicted for next week and the ground is very soggy already. We need some hot sun!

Not Again!!!!!!

2010-01-30T09:34:00.006-05:00

The Alapaha River is on the rise again. So far the prediction is for minimal to moderate flooding, but it is raining this morning and more rain is predicted too.

This is the “puddle” of water in our backyard left over from the Easter Flood of 2009 and recent rains.

We moved here in June 1984. The people we bought the property from asked us to come see the river in April 1984 when it flooded, so we would know what we were facing. No big deal – the river was running across the back quarter of the yard, which is the lowest part of the yard.

A view of the “puddle” at the back fence – it spreads into the property behind and beside us.

Our property is in the 100-year flood plain, which we thought meant that it would only flood her once in every 100 years. A lot of other people think that too. Wrong!!!

According to The "1OO-Year Flood", a US Geological Survey fact sheet: The term "100-year flood" is misleading because it leads people to believe that it happens only once every 100 years. The truth is that an uncommonly big flood can happen any year. The term "100-year flood" is really a statistical designation, and there is a 1-in-100 chance that a flood this size will happen during any year. Perhaps a better term would be the "1-in-100 chance flood."

The river runs through a deep ditch into the road past our house. This was taken Friday afternoon just as the river reached flood stage.

So …. Of the 8 recorded floods since 1948, 5 occurred after we moved here. The worst recorded flood was the Easter Flood last year, when the river crested more than 7 feet above flood stage.

Right now the prediction is for 2 feet above flood stage by tomorrow night – it is already a foot over flood stage.

The greenhouse is ready.

My greenhouse may or may not flood – it depends on how high the water rises. I moved most of the plants up on the tables just in case. The hibiscus plants are several years old and declining so I left them on the floor. The other two plants are peace lilies and they will survive wet feet.

I will keep you posted - so check back again.

Chicken Bruschetta

2010-01-26T16:47:00.005-05:00

I don't often cook unusual things, because there are a lot of foods that I don't particularly care for. However, my family keeps insisting that I should cook something different. To tell the truth, I have grown up eating basically the same things on a regular basis, and once I got married and had children, I continued that tradition, so to speak.

So, I found a recipe that I thought I could manage without botching it up too bad (I'm not that good of a cook to begin with). Chicken Bruschetta. Chicken with tomatoes, onions, Italian dressing, and seasoning. It also has bacon and cheese mixed in there.

With no further ado, here is what dinner looked like a few nights ago......

Chicken cooking in the pan with seasonings.....

Tomatoes, onions, chicken bouillion, and more seasonings.....

Layer the bacon over the chicken and then melt the cheese on top. Spoon a serving of tomatoes - bruschetta - over the chicken and serve. Complete chicken bruschetta served over pasta.....

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. It tasted pretty good, although it could have done with a little less Italian dressing. (That's one of those foods I don't like.) The dressing was a bit strong, in my opinion. But big R and L liked it. Little R refused to eat the tomatoes, but he didn't mind the bacon! :)

IMG_1280
Originally uploaded by Creating Character

Mush!

2010-01-19T18:26:00.006-05:00

The color of my garden this winter is mush. Do you know how many colors of mush there are? Let me show you ....

droopy green Ginger mush

golden brown Hydrangea mush

brownish green Canna Lily mush

grayish brown Crinum Lily mush

and finally

brown-used-to-be-bright-yellow Philodendron mush

I think the Philodendron is done for,

but all the rest should come back in the spring.

Peeking Through

2010-01-19T12:29:00.003-05:00

Peeking Through
Originally uploaded by Creating Character

My post for today for Creative Every Day. See me peeking through this cool mirror that we found at the Dollar Store? Only $10 bucks! I should have gotten it, but really, what would I use it for? It's not like I can really see myself in it.....

Free Rice

2010-01-18T15:35:00.001-05:00

If everyone will notice, I have added a new button to our site, Free Rice. This came on one of my daily emails, Dumb Little Man, as part of a list of 50 things that I could do today to make my life healthier. A lot of them were kind of unique and some of them were stretching it a bit, but hey, 50 things to come up with all at once would be kind of hard, I would think. Actually, I know, because I’ve been working on a list about the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893, and it’s pretty darn hard.

But back to the Free Rice. They donate 10 grains of rice for each question that you answer correctly. What started as a small click in an email for me has turned into a compulsion! My son and I have been playing off and on all day. I have focused on English vocabulary (go figure) and he has been sampling different subjects, such as Spanish, math, and Chemical symbols.

Throughout the day today, I have donated over 4000 grains of rice and he has donated over 2000 grains of rice. Now, math is not my strong point, but it says on Free Rice that a day’s ration of rice is 400 grams and there are 48 grains of rice in a gram. That’s 19,200 grains of rice. So a person has to answer 1,920 questions to get a daily ration of rice. That seems like a lot. A whole lot, so I was sitting here wondering why I was answering these questions. I’d never get a whole day’s ration to be donated, so what was the use, right?

Well, think about it. Today alone, just my son and I have donated nearly a third of a day’s ration of rice for someone who desperately wants it. I mean they want it really bad, because they don’t want to be the one in six people that die today because they didn’t get enough food. And when you think about, one in six isn’t that much because I could name six people that I know right now. How about you? Can you name six people? Could you imagine one of those six people starving too death?

So, what it boils down to is that when we all play the game it makes the grains of rice add up. If only twenty people play for about an hour a day, we can save the one of the six. Or if you donate 3,000 grains every day, you could say that every seventh day, you save that person. Either way, the difference is in the numbers…. Do you want to be one of them?

In the Rearview

2010-01-13T13:31:00.010-05:00

This one is a body of work for Creative Every Day. There are several, so I am going to try to make them kind of small, but we will see how it goes. This entry is for January 10. I don't know what the deal is with the second photo there - I can't seem to get it sized properly.

L's Knees

2010-01-13T12:49:00.006-05:00

This is my Creative Every Day entry for 1/12/10. I know, I'm a little slow on the uploads and posting at times. You'll have to forgive me, :I thought you all might get tired of seeing my body, so I decided on my oldest son's instead. He doesn't like me to take his picture, so I thought I could catch his knees while we were driving down the road.

IMG_1179
Originally uploaded by Creating Character

What are you doing?
Originally uploaded by Creating Character

Too bad he didn't know what I was doing. In the process, he looked down to see what I was taking a picture of and I got his face. His response was, "I didn't see anything worth taking a picture of." Go figure. He is definitely not a photographer. :)

Last and final of him, at least if he catches me :)

Busy at work
Originally uploaded by Creating Character

beauty means nothing if you're not loved

2010-01-10T12:33:00.004-05:00

beauty means nothing 1
Originally uploaded by Creating Character

Creative Every Day again. I couldn't quite figure out how to do what I wanted - I wanted the mirror part of the image to be all broken and cracked, but I couldn't do it, so I made an adjustment. This is my second shot at it (out of about 30 photos). My first attempt is the lower photograph.

And, see, I told you I wasn't as pale as I looked yesterday!

beauty means nothing without love
Originally uploaded by Creating Character

Socks

2010-01-09T12:19:00.002-05:00

Socks
Originally uploaded by Creating Character

Another entry for Creative Every Day. These are my lovely socks that my mom bought me for Christmas. They come up over my knees, as you can see. You wouldn't really thing that I would need socks that tall in Florida, but I'm always cold and an extra layer helps tremendously. My husband thinks I'm a freak because of my socks. :)

This is me

2010-01-09T12:11:00.002-05:00

img072
Originally uploaded by Creating Character

For Creative Every Day, this is my post today. Remember, the theme is Body, so a self portrait.... I'm not really quite that pale, but the flash! It's hard to take a picture of yourself :)

Dark Fingertips

2010-01-08T08:13:00.004-05:00

dark fingertips
Originally uploaded by Creating Character

Again, the theme for Creative Every Day is body for January. So these are my fingers and my foot. That little thing down in the bottom right corner is the gearshifter - I took this while waiting for my son to get out of school. I thought about blurring it some so you couldn't really see it, but then it would look as though I were propped in mid-air. :)

('’)

Winter's Beauty

2010-01-07T13:19:00.006-05:00

Gerber Daisy Shower
Originally uploaded by Creating Character

I don’t like winter or cold weather, so I didn’t think I would have a picture for this month’s Picture This Contest on Gardening Gone Wild. Then I remembered this picture I took last January after the sprinkler system ran while the temperatures were still below freezing. My son-in-law named it the Fairy Sprinkler. I hope fairies like cold showers! (Posted by Melody)

('’)

New Year!!!

2010-01-07T08:54:00.003-05:00

I have a new addition to the blog this year, my mother, so this post is kind of about the two of us.

Marsanne (that's me)

Well, it’s a New Year – time for a new beginning. I’ve fallen behind on my blog writing because – well, because life happens!

I have been busy writing for magazines – including Skirt, holding art shows, photographing special events, doing genealogical and historical research, homeschooling, cooking, cleaning, and – oh yeah, and sleeping.

My mom wanted to try blogging, so she is going to join me. She will write about life in the garden and life in general. And I’ll continue to tell you about photo and writing news and events. Maybe between the two of us, you will find something you like.

Melody (that's my mom)

Welcome to the new, revised, better, improved – did I miss anything? – Creating Character. My name is Melody and I am a wife, mom and grandma. I am a freelance writer for www.ehow.com and www.gardenguides.com. And I am a gardener – no, my hobby is gardening – no, that’s not it, I am obsessed with gardening.

So what does gardening have to do with photography, writing, or even Creating Character? Gardening creates the character of the gardener who plans, hopes and dreams, and works toward a goal; of the landscape with the addition of beautiful plants and flowers; of those who stop to admire the colors and scents of nature and relax for just a few minutes.

I hope you enjoy my thoughts about gardening and life and whatever else I find interesting.

Surprise Outbursts!

2010-01-05T17:40:00.003-05:00

It’s always nice to see proof that your children actually do hear what you have to say. I am one of those mothers who maybe shouldn’t have been a mother, what with my aversion to germs and dirt, and all of the things in between. But a mother I am, and with that comes a “passing on,” you could say, of my unusual predilections.

My son’s friend, B., came over again a few days ago. I don’t mind the kid being here, since there aren’t many children that can deal with my son. As a matter of fact, there aren’t many adults, either… but that’s a story for another day. So the boys are sitting on the couch and all of a sudden, the other boy lets out a long fart. Ick!

I automatically turn with this look on my face – because I’m one of those people with manners, you know. My son (bless his heart!) says, “Say excuse me, B.” I couldn’t believe my ears! It’s nice to know that he has heard something that I have said, since he doesn’t listen to any of my other complaints….

Like what? you ask. Oh, those complaints. Yeah, I have aversions to a lot of things… water fountains, trash cans, dirt in general, taking out the trash, raw meat, having to hold money, other people touching my food, cigarette butts, metal grates, bathroom walls…. Shall I continue? No? I didn’t think so. It’s a fact: my life is definitely strange; I’m a weirdo.

My son, however, not so much. He is fairly normal, a typical boy, I suppose. I mean, he acts like the other boys in the neighborhood, except he is a lot more hyper. So hyper, really, that no one else really wants to be around him a lot, because he never shuts up. And when I say never, I mean never. The kid talks from the time he gets up until the time he goes to sleep.

Not bed. Because with all of my aversions, evidently he has formed one of his own. He refuses to sleep in his bed. He sleeps on the floor, in a cardboard box, or on the couch. I can’t say I ever had any problem sleeping in my bed…. Although my husband does (he sleeps on the couch a good bit), so maybe that’s where it came from.

As a matter of fact, I think the next time I get on my husband’s case about sleeping on the couch, I’ll tell him he has passed it on to our son. What do you think he would say to that? Probably nothing, other than to glare at me, I would guess.

So the other day when B. was here, my little tape recorder son repeated several things that I had said, mostly about manners and where things were supposed to go. I guess he’s finally heard it enough that it has begun to sink in that you are supposed to wash your hands when you touch the trash can, or if you make a rude noise you should say excuse me, and please don’t leave the soda cans sitting on the counter until they reproduce.

All in all, I have to say that I was pretty impressed with the way he spoke to B. He wasn’t rude, he just made the comments that needed to be made in order for the house not to dissolve into chaos. Now maybe he will learn not to jump on those dadblasted metal grates!

Till next time….. try to stay warm. It’s cold here!

Flickr

2009-12-01T15:10:00.001-05:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Picture This Contest on Gardening Gone Wild

2009-07-21T10:19:00.003-04:00

The July Picture This Contest on Gardening Gone Wild is afoot!

After an afternoon of constant rain, the branches of this 'Near East' Crape Myrtle bowed down to the ground and rained petals.

June Garden Blogger's Bloom Day

2009-07-15T19:47:00.008-04:00

From my mom, Melody:

It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day again - if you don't know what that it, check out May Dream's Gardens and Carol will explain it. Don't forget to check out the other bloggers who have posted their pictures too.

You would think I would have more pictures to post ... but it's too hot ... the sun is too bright ... or its raining. Here's the best I have for this month.

Bright Eyes Crocosmia

Blue Spruce Sedum

Ornamental Banana

Wild Horsement covered in pollinators - this was a busy plant!

"The Regulars"

2009-07-14T13:10:00.004-04:00

A collection of portraits taken over a period of two years has earned Sarah Stolfa acclaim as a photographer. Rather than "chaos and smiles" in the bar, Stolfa has captured another side of bar life - those poignant, lonely moments that patrons share with their bartender. Stolfa wasn't a talkative bartender at Center City's McGlinchey's. Instead, she wanted a way out. After a stint of ten or eleven years, she McGlinchey's to pursue her MFA in Photography at Yale. Purchase "The Regulars" by Sarah Stolfa. Photographs excerpted from "The Regulars" by Sarah Stolfa.

Kaleidoscope Gallery

2009-06-27T17:50:00.007-04:00

From the brochure of "Kaleidoscope, a gallery":

Kaleidoscope, a beautiful new art gallery and studio which recently opened in Historic Downtown Valdosta, is owned and operated by Fay and Jolie Hyatt. The gallery currently represents 21 local, regional and national artists, most of whom have won many prestigious awards. Their fine art paintings include landscapes, still life, plantation hunt scenes, character studies, abstracts, and florals. Our artists work in a variety of media including oil, watercolor, pastel, and acrylic and their works range from realism to impressionism. We also have some beautiful bronze sculptures, stained glass, jewelry, pottery and wooden vessels. Most of the two dimensional works are original, but we do carry a collection of framed and unframed prints, as well as unframed originals.

Kaleidoscope has a separate folk art gallery where the fun filled works of Arthur Riggs and the primitive folk art of Floria Yancey are currently on display.

The gallery also offers fine art oil portraiture by Fay Bridges Hyatt, who has filled portrait commissions for families throughout the Southeast and Midwest. Sample portraits as well as portraits in progress can be seen at Kaleidoscope. Fay will work with you to paint the portrait you envision.

Kaleidoscope hopes to bring the enjoyment of creativity to others through artistic inspiration and instruction. Fay currently teaches a Monday morning fine art class in oils and will add classes and workshops in a variety of media.

The Kaleidoscope studio will also offer workshops with artists of national reputation. Gloria Mani from Columbus, Georgia is coming in late September to teach a plein air oil landscape workshop. Early in the same month Anne Abgott, a national award winning artist and writer of best selling book on color in watercolor will teach a three day workshop. The workshops with each of these artists will afford local and regional artists, both accomplished in fine art and those still learning, an opportunity to expand on their abilities.

If you would like more information about classes currently scheduled, upcoming artists events, shows and future workshops, please come by or call Fay or Jolie. You can also sign up with us so that we can keep you informed by email.

The goal of Kaleidoscope, a gallery is to provide beautiful, one of a kind artwork for both home and office decor. We want to provide our customers with the opportunity to purchase an original piece of art for every gift occasion including weddings, birthdays and anniversaries. So please come in at your earliest convenience and see all the gallery has to offer.

Kaleidoscope
123 North Ashley Street
Historic Downtown Valdosta
229-245-1289
kaleidoscope123@att.net

Colorblind Contest

2009-06-24T18:52:00.009-04:00

Hello Everyone!

My mother has asked me to post for her again photos of her garden. This is for the Colorblind Contest that Garden Rant is currently holding. The deadline is 9:00 tonight, so you'd better hurry if you want to enter. If your garden doesn't clash, or you're not interested in entering, you should at least cruise on over to check out the other pictures and descriptions. Some of them are pretty wild!

So here's Mom's stuff:

Elizabeth on Garden Rant wanted to see pictures of plant combinations that clash - you asked for it. The old-fashioned orangey-yellow daylilies took over the flower beds this year producing some atrocious color combos. See for yourself.

Daylilies and Crinum - Orange and pink! How much more can it clash? Soon the dwarf crape myrtle in between the daylilies and crinum will bloom adding purple to the mix!

Daylilies and Coneflowers - In front of the daylilies are purple coneflowers and in the upper left corner you can just see the magenta coneflowers.

Daylilies and Flowering Tobacco - More orange and pink.

Absolutely Awesome Art

2009-06-22T20:05:00.008-04:00

I have found the most absolutely awesome art ever. It's photography, but it's... so different. It's not photography - there's no camera, no lens, no computer. Just him, the items to be captured, the film and electricity.

There is no way that I could accurately describe the process as they do without butchering it, so I am going to cut and paste, and give credit where credit is due: Wired Magazine 17.07.

"Forget the notion of a reverent nature photographer tiptoeing through the woods, camera slung over one shoulder, patiently looking for perfect light. Robert Buelteman works indoors in total darkness, forsaking cameras, lenses, and computers for jumper cables, fiber optics, and 80,000 volts of electricity. This bizarre union of Dr. Frankenstein and Georgia O'Keeffe spawns photos that seem to portray the life force of his subjects as the very process destroys them.

Buelteman's technique is an elaborate extension of Kirlian photography (a high-voltage photogram process popular in the late 1930s) and is considered so dangerous and laborious that no one else will attempt it—even if they could get through all the steps.

Buelteman begins by painstakingly whittling down flowers, leaves, sprigs, and twigs with a scalpel until they're translucent. He then lays each specimen on color transparency film and, for a more detailed effect, covers it with a diffusion screen. This assemblage is placed on his "easel"—a piece of sheet metal sandwiched between Plexiglas, floating in liquid silicone. Buelteman hits everything with an electric pulse and the electrons do a dance as they leap from the sheet metal, through the silicone and the plant (and hopefully not through him), while heading back out the jumper cables. In that moment, the gas surrounding the subject is ionized, leaving behind ethereal coronas. He then hand-paints the result with white light shining through an optical fiber the width of a human hair, a process so tricky each image can take up to 150 attempts.

Because there's no lens to distort the colors, Buelteman's work replicates natural hues far better than traditional photographs. "I'm calling into question what we see every day," Buelteman says. "Is that really a flower? Have I been blind my entire life?" You can see for yourself in his recently published book, Signs of Life."

Okay, so you can see these pics are awesome. The time and work that goes into each shot must make each one a favorite for him. Definitely check out his website and his book." There are even more awesome photos in the book, and it is published by a cool new publisher that I've been checking out, issuu.

Flickr

2009-06-21T01:06:00.004-04:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

My mom mentioned that one of her blogs used flick to save space on her blogger account, so of course I wanted to know all about that, so they sent me that. Part of the setting up of the process included a test email - seen above, and a note that said I could delete it when I saw that it went through. But, you know what? Flickr has been an awesome site for the several years that I have used it, and I'm going to leave the sample post, so that everyone can see that I support Flickr. I have over 10,000 pictures on there and I have never had any major problems or complaints. Hiccups from time to time, but that's it, so there you go. That's why there's a post called "Flickr."

Roses in Bloom

2009-06-20T15:51:00.009-04:00

The Gardening Gone Wild site is having a photo contest in which they wanted roses in a gardening setting. Below you will find my entries for the contest, each taken in either my mother's yard or my own (of roses given to us by my mother).

This one is called Scarlet Bicolor. It is growing in my mom's yard.

We aren't sure what these are called. Several years ago, my mom decided she didn't want them anymore and she gave them to my husband (who does all the yard work at our house, including gardening). When they first bloom, they are really pink, but the longer they are on the bush, the less color they have, although they do remain extremely fragrant.

This is the second one from our yard, but a different bush. They are the same kind, though.

I wish everyone has the best of luck in the contest, and I would like to thank Debra Lee Baldwin for taking time out of her busy schedule to judge the contest.

For more information on the contest and to view other entries, please visit Gardening Gone Wild. Be advised, though, that the deadline is tomorrow at midnight, June 22, 2009.

Tea Pitcher Fountain

2009-06-17T18:51:00.003-04:00

I've added a fine art photograph of a tea pitcher fountain to my ebay store. It's a lovely rendition of old timey art. The photograph was taken at a local tractor show. I hope you find it appealing.

Local Art Exhibits

2009-06-13T20:49:00.007-04:00

Browsing around the web tonight, I came across this article from the Tallahassee Democrat in Florida. Although there were quite a few other exhibits mentioned, I'm only listing a few here because they pertain to art and photography.

* Brokaw-McDougall House: "I Am Much More Beautiful at Night than in the Morning." Solo art exhibit by Po-Chi Chu. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Free. 329 N. Meridian St. 891-3900.

* FSU Museum of Fine Arts: Artists' League Summer Annual. Theme, "Five Rings of Passion: Love, Anguish, Awe, Triumph, Joy." Works in all media by members of the FSU Museum of Fine Arts Artists' League. Opening reception, 7-9 p.m. today. Free. Through July 10. Hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 250 Fine Arts Building, 530 W. Call St. 644-1299.

* ArtPort Gallery: "The Photography of Andrew Borom." Nature photography. Through June 22. Hours: 8 a.m.-11:30 p.m. daily. Short-term parking is free for up to 30 minutes. Tallahassee Regional Airport, 3300 Capital Circle S.W. 224-2500.

* City Hall Art Gallery: Annual show of artwork by city of Tallahassee employees and retirees. Through July 20. Hours: 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Free. 300 S. Adams St., second floor. 224-2500.

* First Street Art Gallery: "Scenes of Early Summer." Paintings, drawings and photography by Ken Echternacht, Jean Marani and Gloria Vasquez. Through Sun. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun. 204 First St. N.W., Havana. (850) 539-5220.

* Gallery at the Historic Capitol: "Legislative Legacy." 25 photographs rich in political history hand-colored by Denise Choppin. Free. Hours: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10-4:30 Sat., 12-4:30 Sun. 400 S. Monroe St., lower level. 487-1902.

* John G. Riley House: "Remembering Rosewood." In 1923, a black town in Florida, Rosewood, was burned to the ground and most of the residents were killed. Through Oct.r 27. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Thurs. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Fri. $5. 419 E. Jefferson St. 681-7881.

* Museum of Florida History: "Florida Cattle Ranching: Five Centuries of Tradition." The history of cattle ranching from the Spanish exploration period to the present. Artifacts, vintage and current photos and interactive components. Through Aug. 9. Hours: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. R.A. Gray Building, 500 S. Bronough St. 245-6400

Even if you can't make it to any of the exhibits, the links will provide a little more information about them. A couple of them are traveling exhibits, so you might be able to catch them closer to your own home. I hope to be able to make it to at least one of them - hopefully Rosewood Remembered. That whole situation has always rather fascinated me.

Hamilton County, Florida Book Available on my Ebay Store

2009-06-13T18:35:00.005-04:00

I wanted to let everyone know that I posted my book, Hamilton County, Florida, on my ebay store. I know that many of you have seen the book or heard about it, and I wanted to extend an opportunity to you to purchase it. The copy that you receive, if bought through the link will be a personally signed copy.

While I am here, I would like to thank everyone who assissted in any capacity in the creating, writing, editing, publishing, and marketing this book. The folks at Arcadia Publishing have been incrediby helpful and accomodating.

Without the assistance of all these people, this newest book about Hamilton County would never have been possible.

Browsing Etsy :)

2009-06-12T22:22:00.008-04:00

Loving those pocketbooks tonight! Man, I sure wish I could grab me one up, but it will have to wait until another week :)So, I've been checking out etsy and seeing what they have available here lately.

I think I really need this black and white clutch with the yellow trim.

The sad thing is I know good and well that a clutch will never work for me. I carry way too much stuff. I bet that if I was stranded somewhere, I could still survive for at least a day with no assistance. :)

But at any rate, even though I routinely carry messenger bags and large pocketbooks, I still drool over the cute, adorable clutch pocketbooks instead. I guess there are some things that never change.

Here's the second one that I liked, the Leila Clutch.

The final pocketbook that I found this evening was the kind that I normally use. Maybe just a tad smaller, I'd have to measure to make sure. They always have to be large enough to hold a full size single subject notebook and whatever papers I am working on at the current moment. This one is called Green and Turquoise Leaf and Flower Bag.

How to Apply for a Passport

2009-06-12T13:27:00.003-04:00

I posted this article How to Apply for a Passport on e-how today. The first paragraph is shown here, but I would greatly appreciate if you would go take a look at the whole article.

"Applying for a passport has become a very important task in today's society. These instructions will give you the necessary documents needed, and the appropriate fees for applying to receive a passport."

Traveling anywhere outside the United States now requires a passport, as of June 1, 2009. This article will walk you through the steps to obtain that passport in a timely manner and with minimal hassle.

Cheers, Marsanne

Ebay Main Screen!

2009-06-11T14:19:00.002-04:00

I logged on to ebay yesterday and to my surprise, two of my photographs are featured on the front page!! Check it out when you get a chance. The second photograph on the top row, "The Great Easter Egg Flood Hunt" and the fourth photograph on the top row, "I'll Keep the Light On," are mine. Click on through and see what else I've added to the shop.

Until next time, Cheers!

Ferris Wheel in Motion on Ebay

2009-06-05T15:17:00.005-04:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have posted a new item to my ebay shop. It is called "Ferris Wheel in Motion" and was taken at Geren's Fair in Valdosta, Georgia. You can view the listing here: Ferris Wheel in Motion. This is what it looks like.

Art with Sharpies

2009-06-05T09:05:00.005-04:00

I found this really interesting article about a man, Charlie Kratzer, who decorated his entire basement with $10 worth of Sharpies and Magic Markers. Although he is a lawyer by day, he spends his evenings drawing in his basement - on the walls. Please take a look at the site, since there is a video that demonstrates the breadth of talent. The original article can be found at the Kentucky Lexington Herald Leader. It is really interesting, as he includes drawings of Picasso, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Sherlock Holmes, Winston Churchill and George Bernard Shaw. In addition, there are several scenes from books and movies that can be found adorning his walls.

Check it out soon, because I don't know how long the newspaper keeps thier articles online.

May 15 Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

2009-05-15T15:41:00.024-04:00

This is from my mother, Melody

"Since I don't have a blog of my own, I asked my daughter, who is a photographer, to post these for me on her blog. This is just a few of the flowers that are blooming now in my North Florida, Zone 8, garden. Other flowers that are blooming are several types of salvias, Shasta daisies, verbascum, gaura, oakleaf hydrangeas. The regular hydrangeas and gardenias are just starting, and the roses (about 25 of them) are still going strong.

To see more great flower pictures from my gardens and other peoples gardens, visit her flickr page.

Thanks, Carol, for allowing me to join in the fun:) "
Melody

As always, please visit the May Dreams site to view other gardener's photographs and comment on thier luck with flowers.

For other photos that are for sale, please visit my my ebay shop. Please remember that any photo that you see on my flickr page can be purchased as well. Simply email me (mapetty@gmail.com) and I will get with you on the size and which photograph you would like.

For those of you in the North Florida and South Georgia area who would like photographs of your own garden, flowers, or family, I do natural light, on location shooting for a small fee. If interested, again, please email me and we can work out the details.

Long Time!

2009-05-12T19:49:00.003-04:00

Wow, I got on to check my statistics today for my different websites and realized that it had been almost two weeks. That meant it had been the same for here! Not what I had in mind when I started this blog :( It was supposed to be a few times each week, not a couple of times a month!

Anyway, yesterday was the big day. My book, Hamilton County, Florida hit the shelves. The guy from the publisher, Arcadia Publishing is coming to town later this week to distribute books and set up sales areas around the county. I will let everyone know where the books will be locally, just as soon as I know. It can currently be ordered online at Books a Million, Amazon, and Arcadia Publishing. Everyone should at least take a look at it.

I have been doing some research for the Turn of the Century book. It will include Becky's house, along with several others. I am thinking that I might go ahead and self publish her section, because I know she is ready to see it all put together, and so am I. When I signed the contract with Arcadia, I kind of put Becky's stuff on hold, and she said she was ok with that because she wasn't paying for. But I'm ready to see that particular project to bed; I don't think I'm going to find the answers to some of the mysteries I have been trying to solve.

I have been doing some writing for another site lately. It is going pretty well. I turn in a batch of articles about once a week.

I am working on a photo project for blurb. They have the photography book now contest going on. One of my projects is Small Town Rodeo. I have a couple of others in my mind, but the rodeo one is what I'm working on now. I need to get my butt in gear, though, because the deadline is looming!

So let me know how things are going out there in blogland! Any ideas on future projects that I should work on? There are always plenty in my head, but you never know - I might decide I like yours better :)

Photochallenge.org - Paper, Day 117

2009-04-28T09:16:00.006-04:00

Of course, everyone here knows that I haven't been posting a pic every day for the past 117 days. But yesterday at Photochallenge.org, the topic was paper, and I decided to give it a shot.

These are the promotional postcards that Arcadia Publishing sent me to help promote my book, which comes out on May 11 and can be ordered through the Arcadia website on my author page. You can't preorder it, but keep it in mind if your enjoy pictoral history books, or are interested in the Hamilton County, Florida area.

Anyway, these are my two submissions for the paper challenge.

Opening an Ebay Shop for my Photography

2009-04-17T13:05:00.002-04:00

I have had several complaints about my shop on Etsy, mainly that it is not well enough known. Apparently, people are more comfortable sending their money to a company such as Ebay. And that's quite alright. I can understand that - there is a big difference between ebay and etsy, although I shop on both on a fairly regular basis. As many people are not as familiar with Etsy, I have decided to transfer my storefront over to ebay. When shopping for my photographs, which can be seen at Creating Character Photography, please use the ebay storefront. As I gain inventory for the ebay storefront, I will be deleting items from my etsy storefront, and in a few weeks, it will no longer be in existence. Please remember that all of my pictures that are shown on Flickr are for sale. So if you don't see what you are looking for right away in my shop, check out flickr or contact me and I can tell you if I have it. In some cases, I can even make special photos for those that are looking for an exact item or area.

Most of my photos can be bought in sizes 4x6, 8x10, 11x14, 24x30, 8x8, 10x10, or 12x12. Mats and frames are available for all of these sizes as well, for an additional fee. Please also remember that if you are in the North Florida or South Georgia region, I am available for natural light, on location photo shoots for you and your family in areas that mean something to you.

Looking forward to hearing from you all....

Interesting Site for Those That Use Digital Scrapbooking

2009-04-17T12:54:00.002-04:00

I get a great number of emails from here and there, many of them listing opportunities to submit art or writing to various places. For those, I have my Google alerts set up to catch certain phrases while the Google spiders are crawling the web. As they come across those phrases, they send me an email with the link in it, so that I can check it out at my convenience. If you want more information on how to do that, let me know and I will help you out. This particular link came from my sister, who thought I might be interested in some free business cards. If you enter the contest, you can be one of three people who win a 1000 business cards of your choice. So I entered. But that's not what I'm really blogging about. :)

I don't know a whole lot about digital scrapbooking, because I tend to prefer the old fashioned way, but it seems as though this site has some pretty interesting interfaces and elements that you can use with a digital scrapbook site. One of the ones that I really liked was the fabrics. My family always makes fun of me because I take photographs of fabrics, for no apparent reason, but lookie here! This person has made a whole ton of them into backgrounds. Who would have thought? By all means, check out the whole site, called Think Design for some interesting ideas. I certainly found me a few. :)

Alapaha River in Jennings, Florida

2009-04-09T14:32:00.002-04:00

I don't know how many of you are from far off and how many of you are familiar with the area around where I live. It's about 30 miles south of Valdosta, Ga. Down the road from my house, there is the Alapaha River - which is currently in the midst of a record breaking flood. Officials have said that it is worse than the flood of 1948 (which of course I don't remember).

At any rate, I have been trying to document it the best that I can. Most of my pictures are from the area on County Road 150, because that is the road that I live on. Also, a lot of the pictures are of my mom's yard (yes, the same yard so many flower photos come from!). Currently, she has river water running beneath her house and into her front yard. The flower supply might be a little slim this year :(

There are a few photos from Highway 41, but they have since closed the road and I am unable to get any more pictures from there.

To view the pictures of the river and the flooded area surrounding it, please visit my flickr page: Alapaha River, Jennings, Florida. I will be posting more photos as they become available.

Breakfast at Tiffany's Fashion Show Update

2009-04-09T14:27:00.002-04:00

I have completed all of the pictures that I took at the fashion show. I have had a few questions about this or that, but no purchases :( You can view the full set on my flickr page: Breakfast at Tiffany's Fashion Show.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments that you might have. My email is mapetty@gmail.com. If we need to communicate further than that, I will then give you my phone number if you don't have a business card.

Also, please remember that I am available to do on location, natural light photographs with you and your family in places that are special to you. It could be a nearby park, your mother's garden, or anywhere else that you and your family feel comfortable and have pleasant memories. Contact me to set up a photo shoot today.

Breakfast at Tiffany's Fashion Show Pictures

2009-03-29T16:13:00.002-04:00

Well, I have completely missed my goal of having the pictures posted by Friday. My husband came into town for the weekend and I ended up spending more time with him than editing photos!

I have decided that I am going to go ahead and post the pictures that I have completed, and I will be adding more within the coming days, so please continue to check back if you do not see yours. Clicking on the link below will take you to the pictures. If you wish to order any, please make note of the image number, as that is unique to each picture.

Breakfast at Tiffany's Fashion Show

Prices are as follows, should you choose to puchase any prints.
4x6 = $6.00
5x7 = $12.00
8x10 = $22.00
11x17 = $32.00

These prices do not include a mat or frame. If you wish to purchase either of those, I can help you with that also.

Plus, please remember that I am available to do on location shoots for you and your family in places that have meaning for you. I am generally available on the weekends and evenings, but I can make arrangements for shoots during the week as well.

I hope you enjoy viewing the photographs and I look forward to hearing from each of you soon.

Jack Magazine

2009-03-26T13:45:00.002-04:00

Several months ago, I submitted a piece to Jack Magazine, an online magazine published twice a year. The piece was about a trip that my children and I took to the Okefenokee Swamp, near Fargo, Georgia. We had a great time and I took some amazing photographs.

It is my pleasure to let my readers know that the piece has been published with some of my photographs in the current issue of Jack Magazine, and can be found here: Seeing the Swamp.

Just a brief note: If you wish to purchase one of the photos, please contact me and we can make arrangements. All of the photographs that I take are available for puchase.

I hope you enjoy the article!

Breakfast at Tiffany's Fashion Show

2009-03-26T13:43:00.002-04:00

Just a note to let everyone know that I am still processing the photos that I took on Saturday. I think there was a great turnout, and I got many fantastic photographs of the models and the guests.

My goal is to have the photos completed by Friday afternoon, and I will then post a link here where they can be purchased.

I hope everyone had fun, and that the Partnership for Health met thier fundraising goal.

Forgotten Bookmarks - Footprints

2009-03-15T15:14:00.002-04:00

I have been keeping an eye on the Forgotten Bookmarks site for a while, since it was recommended to me on twitter. This entry, called Footprints is particularly touching. A picture of a baby and his footprints, with this text (quoted from original site)

"Certificate from Chenango Memorial Hospital with photo and baby footprints.

This is to certify that
David Leslie Grant
has been elected to membership in the
Babies' Alumni of Chenango Memorial Hospital
in recognition of generosity and good will to others

Date June 23 1949 ____ A.S. Wilson, Chairman

Found in "Sewing for the Home" by Mary Brooks Picken, published by Harper & Bros., 1946."

The editor of the site has begun making efforts to find the owner of this card. Hopefully with it being posted in more than one place, the owner will stumble across it. If you have any information about the owner of this card, or possibly a relative, please contact the editor of Forgotten Bookmarks, via the comments section on Footprints. I am sure that the owner would appreciate being reunited with a treasure such as this.

Garden Rant Short Fiction Contest

2009-03-15T14:47:00.002-04:00

My mom and I both entered this contest, hosted by Garden Rant. The rules stated that one simply had to write a 99 word or less short story and post it to the comments of the blog posting. We each had a couple and entered them, hoping for the books about roses, but to no avail. The winners of the contest can be found here.

Since neither of us won the contest, I will post our entries here for everyone to read. They kind of get lost in the large number of comments on the contest blog - not to mention the comments about the stories that were submitted.

The Recipe (my own entry, found on page three of the comments)
With excitement he viewed the recipe that called for Rose Sugar and Rose Petals - it would be perfect for Valentine’s Day. He shook his rose petal sugar jar every other day and dried rose petals. On Valentine’s Day, he cooked all day, preparing a lovely feast for his beautiful wife. A rack of fresh lamb with rose syrup, salad garnished with sugared rose petals, and his “piece de resistance” – the rose tart, made with rose sugar and dried, chopped rose petals. It’s too bad he didn’t know the florist treated the roses with chemicals to guarantee blemish-free flowers.

Obsession (my own entry, found on page three of the comments)
The obsession was two fold. The mother gardened, constantly tended a dazzling bed of roses. They flourished and bloomed. The daughter stood there for hours; a rare bird, they called her. She would study the roses, each bloom frozen in growth and time, held captive by a Canon 75-300mm. Petals were caught just so, dewdrops were examined, buds were investigated and watched by both of them. Obsession or not, people wondered at their talent, for the mother won coveted awards for her roses, while the daughter won prestigious awards for her portrayal of her mother’s pride and joy.

Confusion (my own entry, found on page three of the comments)
Her garden was the pettiest around. What was her secret – how did she grow such lush roses? She had lost three husbands and two stepchildren – you’d think she couldn’t dwell on roses with so much death in her life.

Dang!!! I really like where this is going. Five dead people under a gorgeous bed of roses. See, that’s the problem with seeing other people’s entries in a contest you plan to participate in. They addle your brain and you can’t remember if the idea was yours or someone else’s. Unfortunately, dead bodies beneath roses belonged to someone else.

The Dog (my mom's entry, found on page three of the comments)
Thank goodness for the dog – she should have gotten one a long time ago. The neighbors used to think she was strange – wandering around the rose garden at all hours of the day – and even night – muttering to herself: need to move this, that needs trimming, ought to get more of those. But now she had a dog – now she wasn’t crazy – she was a pet owner. The neighbors didn’t realize that while she “walked the dog” and “talked to the dog” she was really saying: need to fertilize, there’s a patch of aphids, time to weed.

Halloween (my mom's entry, found on page three of the comments)
She doesn’t “do” Halloween but the grandkids want her to decorate. Won’t scarecrows and pumpkins work? No, the boys insist there must be witches and ghosts and bats. “I’ll think about it,” she promises. The next day she waits in anticipation for them to get home from school. She has decorated the porch for Halloween – pots of Ghost Fern and ‘Goblin’ Gaillardia set next to a Witch Hazel bush. Other pots hold Devil’s Backbone, Skullcap and Deadnettle. A Devil’s Trumpet and a Voodoo Lily tower over the other plants. And the final touch – a completely black kitten named Midnight.

Checking the Mail (my mom's entry, found on page three of the comments)
“I’m going to check the mail,” I told my husband. I started towards the mailbox. The roses needed pruning; I got the pruners and trimmed them. As I took the pruners back, I spotted weeds in the perennials; I stopped to pull them. After I put up the pruners, I saw some annuals I needed to pot. I found some planters and took them to the patio. The furniture was dirty; I got a rag and cleaned it. All that work made me thirsty; I went in the house for a drink. “Where’s the mail,” my husband asked.

And that's it. You would think out of six entries, we would have managed to win something, but it just wasn't meant to be. Maybe next time. :)

Recent Photography Contests

2009-03-15T14:30:00.004-04:00

I've entered several photography contests recently and have gotten the results back for one of them. Over at Go Snap, the competition for February was for candid moments. I entered a picture of my son, taken one evening while we were having dinner at Sonic. The photograph moved through several phases of the competition, but did not win. The winning photograph, a very moving shot of a mother and daughter holding on to one another, can be seen here. I encourage everyone to view the photo, as it clearly reminds of us of what we have in our lives.

Although I could not previously post the photograph that I entered, because the contest was to be anonymous, I can post it here for you to see now that the contest has ended.

The current competition at Go Snap, is for March, and is titled "Reflections," and can be entered here. Although I haven't decided on my entry for this month, I encourage everyone else to visit the site and enter the contest if they choose.

Paws for Charity Book Project Update

2009-03-15T13:52:00.003-04:00

Several weeks ago, I blogged about the Paws For Charity Project. The original post can be found here, although upon re-reading the post, I realized that I did not post the photograph that I entered. Therefore, I will post it on this entry. Sara Harley sent me an email on the 6th (she actually stuck to her decision date, something I've learned a lot of contests don't do) and let me know that I was on the short list, which I was glad to hear, but that I did not make the final cut. Of course, that made me unhappy, but it was okay, because at least I was in the running. You can read more about the Paws For Charity Project in this update that she posted here.

This is the picture that I entered in the contest: My dog Summerlin at Hilton Head Island Beach last year. Just as a note - she never touched the water; she wanted no part of that.

Sorry for the Delay in Posting

2009-03-15T13:47:00.003-04:00

I am sorry that I haven't posted in over a week. A lot of things have happened since the 7th, and the lack of posting ultimately results from a dog bite that I received on that afternoon. I spent several days in severe pain even though I was taking pain medication and antibiotics, and I ended up going to the doctor again. He told me to take a few days off from work and gave me a stronger pain medicine and added another antibiotic to my list.

Another thing that has put a damper on my posting is the fact that our internet is not acting properly, so I have had to share my computer with my children. Three people and one computer do not a good mix make. :) Hopefully that won't be happening much longer and I will have more time on the computer.

I wanted this post to be about the lack of previous posts. In the next few hours, I will be posting about various things that have happened and that I have been informed of with regards to my writing and photography.

Six Sentences

2009-03-05T20:14:00.005-05:00

I have made it my goal to write a six sentence story each day. This was because there were times that I felt I needed to get something out, but it just wouldn't come, and the Six Sentences website seemed like an ideal place to post those. However, even though I added a button on the side so that my readers could check out my six sentence masterpieces, the button doesn't seem to go straight to my writing. In that case, I will post them here as well, so that my faithful readers can find them without digging through all of the comments on the Six Sentences page. But please feel free to comment - I love to hear good (and bad) things about my work, whether it is my writing or photography. In this post, I will link to the works that I have already posted at Six Sentences, and will further update as needed.

A Life in Six Sentences

Until

Her Eyes

The Note

I want this to be an exercise in creative writing - something to get the creative juices flowing. We'll see how it goes; so far I have had no problems thinking of things to write. :)

As an aside, you can now follow me on twitter as well, by clicking here.

Radio Interview on 105.9

2009-02-27T11:52:00.000-05:00

So this morning I had a radio interview on 105.9, out of Valdosta. It's owned by Black Crow Media a group of very friendly folks. I have to say that I was kind of nervous, but the interviewer, Frank, kept asking me questions and it went pretty good. Unfortunately, because I was literally frozen to my chair, I can't really remember what all he asked. I remember he asked if I was one of those people who stopped on the side of the road to take pictures and I said yes, I was one of those. Because I am. If I see something I want a shot of, I just stop and shoot away until I'm done. I've gotten plenty of excellent shots that way. I told him a lot of the pictures from the art show at Smith at Northview Hospital were from my mom's garden, so he asked me could I identify them, and I said no. Because I can't. There are a few flowers I can name, but not very many.

Then it was the other girl's turn, and she was talking about a fashion show that will be held in Valdosta. It's called Breakfast at Tiffany's and will be held at Bas Bleu in downtown Valdosta on March 21st, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Prizes will be given out and a silent auction will be held. The fashion show will be the debut of the spring lines from high end shops such as 10 Central, Ally B's Boutique, Ellis' Boutique, ENVY, Fads and Fashions, Mom's to Bee, Renee's Fashions, and Serendipity Boutique. All proceeds from the fashion show and silent auction will benefit the Partnership Health Center, a free primary care clinic for the working, uninsured citizens of Lowndes County. For more information, call 229-245-0020, extension 3, or visit the Partnership Health Center.

Another great thing about the fashion show is that I will be the photographer. This will serve two purposes: it will provide the benefit with free photography, and it will enhance my portfolio, hopefully giving me more access to clients. I am very excited about the whole thing and look forward to attending the event.

Published on Now Public.com

2009-02-25T22:08:00.003-05:00

A couple of my pics were used today on Now Public. Several months ago, my mom and I took a trip down to Palatka, Florida, because it boasts quite a few murals througout the town. I took pictures of all them (I think I missed one), and a fellow emailed me asking me if he could use a couple of them that depicted Billy Graham. They can be seen here if you click on the view all footage link.

Several months ago, a local gas station closed down, assumably to the rising fuel costs. I happened to take a picture of the sign - mainly because I had never gas prices so close to $4.00 a gallon - and a different fellow emailed me asking if he could use my picture in conjunction with his article. I agreed, and it can be found here. Again, click on the link for see all footage to view my photo.

Paws for Charity Book Project

2009-02-20T13:26:00.003-05:00

Sara Harley, a fellow Etsy photographer and founding member of Paws For Charity, is inviting POE Members who photograph dogs and cats to participate in a new Paws for Charity Book project. Proceeds from the Blurb style book will go directly to a breast cancer charity. They are seeking 40 artists to contribute a piece of artwork to be featured in the book. I have submitted the photo below as my contribution, and I encourage others to submit their photographs or artwork as well.

Breast cancer is a prevalent disease in the United States today, accounting for more than 1 in 4 diagnoses, and is preceded as cause of death only by lung cancer. There are currently more than 2.4 million women in the United States that have been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer. Contributing to this cause will be worthy for everyone, as there are few people who can say that their lives have not been touched in some way by breast cancer.

Won't you please join in the fight against breast cancer with your contribution today? The deadline for photographs and artwork submissions is February 28, 2009.

Reception for Art Exhibit Tonight!

2009-02-17T09:04:00.002-05:00

I've mentioned a few times about my art show at Smith at Northview Hospital in Valdosta, Georgia, which started on February 9 and ends on March 24. Tonight is the reception for the show, from 5 to 7 p.m., for any of those that are interested. Today I have been featured in the Valdosta Daily Times as the local artist on display. Please take a look at the article and I hope to see everyone at the reception.

For those of you that would like a copy of the article, it is also in today's paper on page 3A. (Next to the obits, so my son says no one will read it - let's prove him wrong!)

Prompts for Creativity

2009-02-10T21:23:00.002-05:00

I found these questions on Something she Wrote, a blogger that I follow, who actually carried them over from over from one of the blogs she follows: The Serenity Gate. Anyway, I thought they were interesting and thought provoking, so here they are with my answers….

Outside my window: It is dark because we have just gotten home from celebrating my husband’s birthday. We usually leave the porch light on, so my sister can see to come inside when she gets off work.

I am thinking: About all of the things that I have to do. I have many projects on my plate and need to clear out some time here soon to organize.

I am thankful for: My family, the fact that I have the ability to work, and the freedom to do the things that I want to do. There are tons of other things but there simply isn’t enough space to list them all here.

From the kitchen: Came a lovely yellow cake with chocolate icing that my youngest son made for my husband’s birthday. There was a secret though – he accidentally made a hole in the cake, so to fix it, he filled it with icing!

I am wearing: A blue shirt, grey pants, black and silver striped socks, flowered shoes and self confidence.

I am creating: Various items. Some jewelry featuring my photography, some other novelty items, more photographs, and working on a book of the history of ten houses in Jasper.

I am going: To try to get some laundry done tonight.

I am hoping: That my husband’s new job will work out because I am tired of being stressed out by money (or lack thereof, I should say.)

I am hearing: A Nasa kid’s show on tv, my Yorkie/Chihuahua mix, Summerlin, barking at the big dogs outside, and my youngest son biting his toenails (no lie).

Around the house: It should be bedtime but everyone seems to be ignoring me :)

One of my favorite things: This thing is one that I don’t physically have anymore but it was mine for years and if it were still around today, it would still be mine. My Old Granny made a blanket. I don’t recall exactly if she made each of us kids one or if they were just made and over time we each ended up with one. Anyway, mine had a different design on each side, because my Granny worked at the sewing factory and would bring home scraps of fabric for Old Granny to use. On the “warm” side, there was a border of about six inches in width around the whole blanket. In the middle of that border, there was a myriad of patches – all different kinds of material (from the sewing factory). On cold nights, the “warm” side was placed downward next to our bodies, to help keep us warm. The other side was covered in pink – yes, pink – fabric that was silky, smooth, and cool feeling. The material had a bunch of little animals on it, but I can’t remember what kinds of animals. That was the “cool” side. On warm or hot nights, we put the cool side of the blanket down towards us. The material held the coolness of the air and kept us cool at night. When the house burned, the blanket was in there. My uncle promised me another blanket, since he got all of them when Old Granny died, but I never got it. Whenever I asked for it, he always had some excuse. Anyway, that was my favorite thing.

Plans for the weekend: See husband off to his new job on Saturday. Hang out with Mom and my sister. We’re supposed to go to the car show in Valdosta. Work really hard on my proposal for “Turn of the Century.” Complete some more art projects. Take plenty of photographs!

New Creations

2009-02-07T21:14:00.006-05:00

As I mentioned a few days ago, over at Creative Construction they are hosting a February finish a thon, and I joined up. One of my goals was to expand my line of items utilizing my photography. As a result, I have made a clipboard and a paperweight, each exhibiting one of my photographs. I have them posted on my Esty shop if you'd like to purchase one. Let me know what you think about them. Any questions, comments?

February Challenge

2009-02-03T19:12:00.003-05:00

Over at Creative Construction they are issuing a challenge to finish a project during the month of February. I think it's a pretty good idea - I have trouble keeping focused sometimes, and a deadline would certainly help me out at times - that's where my mom still comes in :)

My goals for the month are to finish up my proposal for Turn of the Century: Houses of Hamilton County and submit it to at least two agents. Since it is a nonfiction work, I can submit it without it being completed. I only lack about 10 pages or so, if I am guessing correctly.

My second goal is to make some new items for my etsy shop. I have a clipboard and a paperweight completed and I took some pics of them tonight. I will try to upload them tomorrow. I have some jewelry ideas in the works, but little problems with the pieces keep coming up and I haven't gotten the kinks ironed out yet.

Until next time....

Creative Construction Contest - Hope

2009-01-27T20:05:00.004-05:00

We go to Savannah, Georgia, every year for vacation. We've been to the Pirate's House Restaurant a couple of times. It's a pretty good restaurant. Anyway, this lantern hangs by the front door, and according to each of the pirates that have taken us on various tours, it was there as a beacon of hope to those on the Savannah River. It may have worked; it may not have. Regardless of the truth of the story or the usefulness of the lantern, it makes for a nice photo.

Creative Construction Contest - Hope

2009-01-27T19:58:00.003-05:00

Each week over at Creative Construction they have a contest. The prompt this week was "hope." To tell the truth, I kind of got tied up in some other things and didn't remember it until she posted the reminder today. So I submitted this little story that I wrote - quickly, mind you, but nevertheless, a submission.

Hope

Everyone knows there’s no such thing as a happy ending. She had heard it her whole life, especially from her mother. After three failed marriages and one husband who died, she could agree with her mother that there wasn’t much hope. But that didn’t stop her from trying to believe.

Her first hope was that she would get out of this town. That hadn’t happened, what with the abusive boyfriend and lack of schooling. She supposed, really, that her first hope had been to finish high school and go to college in another town. There. That was a much better clarification of her hope. The school thing hadn’t worked out too well – she ended up spending all of her time with the boyfriend, which in turn, led to a failed relationship and failing out of school. And yet she was still in the same small town, alone.

Her second hope was to give her mother a sense of happiness. The poor woman had been through so much, the husbands, the divorces, the death…. What’s a girl to do to help her mother cope with something like that? That had failed too. Her mother had fallen into a deep depression and was reduced to taking medication to get through the day.

Her third hope was to be an artist. She tried, really, she did. She attempted lovely landscapes on napkins, spare newspapers, bits of paper she could find anywhere. A severe lack of money didn’t exactly lend itself to art. When the landscapes didn’t work, she tried people, buildings, individual flowers. All failures.

So she moved on. Her fourth hope was to learn the history of her family. Where did they come from? What did their odd sounding names mean? Could she find more ancestors of her own – other family members, other than her battered, depressed mother? She questioned her mother, who knew nothing. Her own mother had abandoned her to a nearby family when she was four. She could no longer even recall her own mother’s name. The name of the family? Her mother didn’t remember them either, she was gone from their home by the age of twelve, on the street to fend for herself. Any other relatives, then? No, none that she knew of. What of her father? A vicious snort from her mother. Look at your birth certificate, child. I have no idea who he was. No maternal relatives, no paternal name to trace. Hope number four was dashed.

She hoped to take the money her mother had given her and make it stretch far enough to buy food for the two of them. Enough to last the week, at least. So she took the money and walked to the grocery store, closely tallying what she added to her basket. Like every other week, she came up short, even purchasing the cheapest brands of foods, the most cost efficient packages. She went to the register to pay for her meager collection, another hope ruined. They would be hungry at the end of the week.

Walking back home, it began to sprinkle and she thought of her mother’s words – no happy ending. Hope after hope…. all failed. She looked up at the sky to see if the rain was going to get harder before she made it home. A rainbow gleamed down at her, reminding her that there was always hope, and it never hurt to stop hoping for something better.

I Heart Faces - Adult's Faces Week 3 - Joy

2009-01-27T18:10:00.006-05:00

My husband again for the I Heart Faces contest. He had just gotten out of the shower and didn't believe that I would actually take the picture. Hey, I have to get them when I can! They are so rare! You can tell he has a big ole belly laugh going on.....

I Heart Faces - Children's Faces Week 3 - Joy

2009-01-27T18:06:00.005-05:00

This is the third week for the I Heart Faces contest. I chose a picture of my oldest son, jumping on the trampoline. He certainly seems to be joyful about it.

New Photography Creations

2009-01-25T11:05:00.004-05:00

Hello, all! I've been working on some new creations using my photographs. I have come up with several ideas and will be posting them shortly, I think. So far, I have a pendant, a small sized clipboard, and a paperweight. They are still in the testing stages, so I don't want to post them just yet, but you could always feel free to visit my Etsy page to see the photos that I have up right now. I will be adding more to the shop later today. Meanwhile, wish me luck with my new endeavors!

Also, I want to mention again that if you are the local area, to please come view my floral exhibitiion at the Smith at Northview Hospital in Valdosta, Georgia. The exhibition will be on display from February 9th to March 24th, and the reception will be held on February 17th, from 5-7 p.m.

Etsy Shop Update & Upcoming Exhibit

2009-01-22T14:12:00.004-05:00

I have to say that I was rather disappointed in my ad for the Artwork for Every Room Showcase on Etsy. I had a ton of hits - plenty of people looked at my artwork, but not one single sale. I've been posting actively on Etsy since about September and I've only made one sale.

I find it hard to believe that it is because that my artwork is not worthy, because I have a show coming up at Smith at Northview Hospital in Valdosta next month. The exhibit will be up beginning February 9th through March 24th. There will be a reception on February 17th, from 5-7 p.m. I invite all of my followers to come out and see what I have to offer.

I Heart Faces - Adult's Faces

2009-01-19T19:40:00.002-05:00

Like I said, I Heart Faces has the contest for children's and adult's faces, but they have to be submitted separately. This is my entry for the adult faces. This is my husband at Christmas. He rarely smiles like this, so it is definitely a good shot in my mind.

I Heart Faces - Children's Faces

2009-01-19T19:21:00.004-05:00

The I Heart Faces site is hosting a photography contest for the next several weeks. I missed the first week, but I am going to give it a shot for the coming weeks. This week will be a picture of my youngest son sleeping. If he knew that I was submitting it, he probably wouldn't be very happy.

Emily Setzer - Photographer & Writer

2009-01-18T13:02:00.003-05:00

As usual, I've been browsing around the net today, thinking that today would be the day that I would get tons of hits, but still to no avail. My etsy shop is getting plenty of hits, but no sales, but my blog still isn't getting hardly any hits. I just don't understand it - I've done everything they've (being the world wide web) have suggested, but... nothing.

So, today, I found Emily Setzer's blog, and I just wanted to let you know that it is absolutely fantastic! She has some stunning photographs with bits of writing that are humorous and tie in to the pictures. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie is an absolutly georgeous photograph of some dogs napping, complete with a blurb about sock shopping. You just can't get any cuter than that.

The Art of Happiness

2009-01-16T15:16:00.005-05:00

I found the most lovely site today while I was browsing around. I had mentioned that I wanted to try to make some of the cards found in the Somerset Memories magazine, so I was trying to figure out how they make thier layers transparent, where you can see the whole card, with the background behind the people and all that. Anyway, I came across this site, which I think you should definitely have a look at. It's about altered books, and this woman, Karen Hatzigeorgiou, has created fantastic pages to go with poetry written by John Cowper Powys, written in 1935. So this is the site for The Art of Happiness. Check it out; it's really lovely.

Shameless Plug for my Etsy Shop

2009-01-15T19:27:00.002-05:00

I wanted everyone to know that I will be having an ad on the Artwork for Every Room showcase on January 20. That is your opportunity to get one of a kind photographs for a very reasonable price. Of course, when you click on my picture, it will take you to my Esty shop, and there will be many more photographs to choose from. So don't be ashamed, come on over and let your faces be seen!

Somerset Memories

2009-01-15T19:09:00.003-05:00

I bought a Somerset Memories magazine the other day from Books A Million. It has some pretty cool ideas in it. One thing I like about that particular magazine is that it covers a variety of topics - not just scrapbooking. Naturally, scrapbooking is the centerpiece of the magazine, but there are other ideas in there ripe for the using. On page 36 they have some really cool cards that I would like to try my hand at. I thought about using those oversized paint samples from Lowe's but I forgot I had a book of 4x6 sized cardstock in different patterns and colors, so I think I'm going to experiment on that. I'll post whatever I come up with, although it may be a few days. Some of thier cards are shown on the cover - I have no illusions of mine being that artistic, but one never knows.

I also bought the Artful Blogging magazine put out by the same company. I always find several blogs in there that I want to follow and keep an eye on, and this one was no different. Shades of Inspiration was one of them. I actually submitted some photos to the New Year's Challenge, but then the subject was kitties, and I don't do cats, so I didn't submit. This week the challenge is doggies, so I will probably send some in. Beauty in the Cracks was another that I really enjoyed.

My mom thinks I am absolutely nuts for spending 15 bucks on a magazine, but I don't think that she understands that they are really sources of inspiration for me. I simply don't have enough time to make all of my ideas come into reality. Hopefully that will happen one day.

Submissions for Snow Theme Contest

2009-01-14T15:20:00.011-05:00

I mentioned before that Creative Construction had a weekly contest. This week the theme was "Snow." This was my submission for this week as far as prose goes.

When It Snowed In Florida

I’ve lived in Florida my entire life – all thirty years. We’ve visited other states from time to time, and found ourselves with near misses of views of snow. It melted the day before we arrived, or fell the day after we left. But never any exciting views of snowdrifts as high as our heads, or windows being blocked by snow piled high in front of them. No shoveling sidewalks or watching the machines ice the roads so traffic could proceed. Nope, none of that in Florida.

Instead, we have rain. When it’s cold and it rains, we have sleet. When it’s freezing (it really does) and it rains, we have hail. Except one year….

It started on a winter night in 1989, while we were in Valdosta, Georgia, a mere thirty minutes from our house in Jennings, Florida. We often shopped in Valdosta, and this was one of those evenings. My dad, my sister, and I were sitting in the car, waiting on my mother to come out of the store. As we waited, it began to rain. Gradually it turned to sleet. Restless as children are often prone to be, my sister and I begged our father to let us out of the car. After a while, I suppose he got tired of hearing us whine, and relented. We played in the parking lot for a while, and dad sat in the car. Suddenly, he rolled the window down and started pointing. Without us even realizing it, the bits of sleet had turned into tiny, icy snowflakes. Certainly not the fat, fluffy ones like you see in the movies, but snowflakes, none the less. We tried to catch them and they melted the moment we touched them, so great was the difference between our body temperature and the iciness of the snowflakes.

Finally, mom came out of the store. We all piled back into the car and, on the trip home, watched with growing excitement as the snowflakes continued to fall. Weather reports predicted the snow would fall intermittently throughout the night, and temperatures would remain below freezing throughout the next day. When we got home, there was a slight dusting of snow on the ground. Dad went and turned the sprinkler on and set it to run over the swing set, so we would have our own personal winter wonderland. We were rushed into the house by Mom, who watched us gaze in wonder as each of our footsteps dissolved the snow beneath our feet.

The next morning was lovely. A mere four inches of snow might not seem like much in most places, but in Florida, it is enough to constitute a thing of beauty. We awoke to a literal snowfall. Of course, everyone was excited. We decided to make an adventure of what could possibly be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

My dad had a huge four wheel drive truck – a 1986 Dodge Ram. The most fabulous blue color one had ever seen. He bought it brand new at the Dodge dealership in Valdosta, and was always happy to display the prowess of his truck. We often took it mud bogging in the nearby swampy areas year round, and in the summer, when the Alapaha River went dry, we took it riding in the slippery river sand.

As we drove from our house to my grandmother’s house, there were cars stuck on the roads and in the ditches. The ice on the roads was simply too much for them – it was too slick, and the Florida drivers had no idea how to handle it. Dad pulled them out, using his four wheel drive.

My uncle had the great idea that we could ski on the roads, since they were covered in ice. Of course, no one had any skis, but with warm water practically year round, we had plenty of equipment for water sports. The two items chosen were a large yellow inner tube and a hydro-slide – a board similar to a surfboard, but instead of depending on the waves to move you, the rider sits on the board and holds a handle attached to a rope, and is pulled by a boat in the water. My father pulled each of us down the highway on the inner tube and the hydro-slide, treating the icy roads much like the warm rivers we were used to.

My aunt, shown here, was a major sun worshipper back then. She loved the beach, craved any amount of time she could spend at the beach, the river, a lake, any piece of sun that she could subject her body to. Her desperation was evident in the playful way she posed that beautiful white day. She wore a tank top and a towel, lying on the hood of her snow covered Camaro, with the words “Beach or Bust” written on the windshield.

Several of us kids walked down the dirt road to a nearby creek. It was iced over, but still flowing beneath the thin layer of ice. Being a rural area of the state, the creek ran under a wooden bridge with a small guard rail which consisted of a 1x6 board placed on blocks. We built our first snowman with snow gathered from the bridge and the guardrail. He ended up being about six inches high and rather sloppily made, because there wasn’t much snow and it didn’t want to stick together very well. Unfortunately, that was also the last snowman that I’ve ever built up to this point.

Although on occasion, there have been reports of snow flurries throughout the years, none of them have touched our area the way the snow did in 1989. None have transformed the sunshine state into an honest to goodness winter wonderland. Living in Florida certainly has its benefits – large amounts of warmth being one of them – but it also has its moments of magic, of memories that can never be recreated, simply because of the location. It’s doubtful that I will ever have another delightful winter day like that one, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t wish for it now and again.

My second submission was actually a photograph taken by my husband when he was out in New Mexico. He used his camera phone to show me what a real snowman looked like.

You can see my entries as well as many other fantastic entries over here.

M.I.L.K. Contest

2009-01-10T21:55:00.004-05:00

I did enter my photos for the M.I.L.K. Contest today. Each participant is allowed five photos per entry, up to five photos per person, so technically you could enter twenty five. I only entered twenty two. According to the site the photos should exhibit Moments of Intimacy, Laughter, and Kinship. I went through the photos of the year and chose some that I thought were the best. The ones that I entered can be found here. Many of them are my family but a few of them are other people that I know. In my opinion, each one of them shows one of the qualifications of the contest. Since the deadline was extended to February 28, 2009, there is still plenty of time to enter yours. I would certainly like to see what you come up with!

I have to say that I think this particular one is my favorite of all - my son and I were playing around and he practically made me disappear out of the frame!

This was taken one day while we were eating lunch at sonic - he loves thier corndogs, as do I. Anyway, I thought it turned out to be a pretty nice shot, even though it was supposed to be of the two of our faces together.

Very, very sick :(

2009-01-10T21:51:00.002-05:00

I have been very, very sick this week. I have a few things I want to get posted; I hope to get that all done tomorrow. I have to upload some pics first, though, or it would be kind of wasted :) Just wanted to let everyone know that I am on my way to getting better - at least I hope I am - and will be back soon!

Submission for Stars Theme at Creative Construction

2009-01-05T18:56:00.004-05:00

I showed a few days ago a star that I entered in the weekly contest at Creative Construction. I mentioned then that I was going to try to write a short piece for the theme as well. I have managed to do that, and I thought I would post it here as well. Please offer comments and suggestions as you like.

The Stars

“The stars,” she thought. “If only I could reach the stars.” Her heart pounded as she lay in the bed near the window, the curtain blowing in the warm summer breeze.

Her head hurt and she only wanted to escape the pain. Throughout the years, she had made every effort she could, she had tried to make him happy, tried to make sure that anything she said wouldn’t set him off again. Of course, it never worked.

Neither did the halfhearted disguises she tried to implement to hide his hatefulness, his disdain for her. The long dark hair that she let drape casually over the sides of her face, covering her cheeks and the inevitable bruises left by his individual fingers. The long sleeved shirts every day of the year, to cover the marks on her upper arms where he grabbed her to slam her against the wall. The jeans to cover her legs where he kicked her when she was down. Everyone knew it was a futile attempt to hide insanity – his for treating her the way he did; hers for taking it for so long.

She no longer knew what to do, only knew that it had to come to an end. The catalyst had come – a trip to the emergency room that couldn’t be avoided – a shattered wrist. Of course, they all had questions and she answered them the best she could, all the while protecting him. Three days they kept her – two surgeries on her wrist. A hope that she would one day regain full usage of it, but no promises from the doctors. No one could promise her anything.

They sent her home with a prescription for painkillers and something to help her sleep. Her wrist would be in the cast for four months. He was scared to come visit her, scared to come pick her up; afraid that the police would be waiting for him. Her friend that lived in the apartment above her drove her to the pharmacy and then to the apartment building. Her friend helped her up the stairs and left her, telling her if she needed anything, to please call.

A sixty-day supply of Oxycontin and Ambien. She looked them up online before he came home. Both addictive, both potentially toxic. A story about a two-year-old girl who accidentally took one of her grandfather’s Oxycontin pills. Luckily, her mother found her before she slipped into a coma and never woke up.

He didn’t believe that she had protected him; didn’t believe that no one would come looking for him. He took his anger and disbelief out on her. After seemingly endless hours, he finished his rage and left to go drinking. She crawled to the bed with her medicines and a bottle of water.

“The stars,” she thought over and over. “Safety in the stars. A savior in the stars.” The warm summer breeze bathed her body in comfort. “If only I could reach the stars, there would be no more pain.” Her thoughts fell further and further apart, her breathing shallower. Her last thought was of the stars and the safety they could provide from the evil that her life had become.

When he opened the door, the curtains fluttered in the breeze, the wind blowing her dark hair across her face: an angel bathed in sunlight.

I've submitted it over there, so we'll see how it does. By the way, she had a very interesting post today about rejection. It was very insightful and had the most touching letter that she received as a child. You should certainly check it out.

Update on Etsy

2009-01-03T20:31:00.019-05:00

I have been sporadically adding photographs to my storefront on Etsy and I wanted my friends and followers to see the new, updated storefront: http://www.creatingcharacter.etsy.com/. I have added a number of new photos on there and they can all be had for a very reasonable price. Take a look when you get a chance and let me know what you think!

While browsing around over there, I found a couple of other storefronts that I think are pretty awesome. Of course, both of them sell jewelry, but I definitely think that they are worth a look: neawear and LegionCreative. Those necklaces are pretty nifty!

This is the Simpla Necklace 15 by neawear - absolutely lovely!

And the Black and Red Tiki Daisies Pendant by LegionCreative. I might have to go shopping before too long!

As always, there are tons of lovely and interesting things to look at over on the Etsy site. It's always worth a minute to browse around if you're looking for a one of a kind gift for that special someone.

Shades of Inspiration Group at Flickr

2009-01-01T16:16:00.006-05:00

I set up a bunch of google alerts that will let me know when there are various contests coming up. Some of the alerts I set up were: writing contest, fiction contest, non fiction contest, photography contest, and story contest. I have come up with a good bit of leads, although a lot of them cost money to enter. I understand that sometimes you have to pay, but right now it's just not possible. Maybe after the beginning of the year when things pick up.

One of those alerts is how I found the Shades of Inspiration. You're allowed to post up to five things to the pool each day, provided you are a member of the group, so I signed up, so that I could seek out new things to photograph. (Like I needed an excuse.) :) The idea is to find things that fit the theme of the week.

The "owner" of the group is Sadie Olive - le journal Very nice blog. Evidently, the whole thing started with a contest of "I Saw Red" in which participants were to show thier photography skills using red. I wish I had been in on that one - I like photographing red.

I entered these three photographs for today. I took them when me, mom, Lys, and the passel of kids went to Taco Bell for lunch.

Keep an eye out for any other photos that I might gather up for this week. I know the week is almost up - it ends on the fourth, but I might get lucky. :)

Weekly Competition at Creative Construction Blog

2009-01-01T15:49:00.006-05:00

There's a weekly competition over at Creative Construction that allows a variety of inputs for the contest. In the last contest she had, there were photos, short stories, and poetry. A great way to get your stuff out there and be seen.

Anyway, I submitted this photograph:

This was a star on one of my trees - I have three - a green one, a silver one, and a white one. The white was one decorated all in silver, white, and glass ornaments.

If I have time this week, I'm going to try to write a short piece focusing on stars - we'll just have to see what happens. :)

Found a Nice New Blog

2009-01-01T14:24:00.003-05:00

I found a nice new blog while wandering around the internet today: http://oneminutewriter.blogspot.com/.

Today's post was: What resolution will you not make this year because you know you'd probably break it?

This was my answer: I will not resolve to lose any more weight. I have lost quite a bit, but I have come to the realization that I will never be back down to a one or a zero, and that's okay. As a matter of fact, I have sent all of those clothes that no longer fit me to Goodwill, in response to my not resolving. :)

I know that I gained quite a bit of weight once I started working at the courthouse and I think that stress had a lot to do with it. I worked hard for a while to get the weight back off and I got down to a size 6. I haven't lost another pound, so I am sure that this is where I am meant to be, so I just make sure that I don't overeat, and that I eat fairly reasonably.

A size 6 is not bad for me - I am not grossly overweight for my height, and I do not feel that I look terrible. I am sure that there are those that disagree, but that's ok. That is actually one of my resolutions this year - to no longer care what others think of me. :)

Letter to my Future Self

2008-12-31T16:06:00.004-05:00

An exercise in life coaching: write a letter to yourself in which your dreams have been fulfilled at some point in the future.

Hey,

It was often hard getting started in the beginning. Struture to a day is most likely required even if one doesn't particularly want it. Sleeping days away at a time without a single word from the pen can't exactly accelerate your career. But you overcame that, eventually.

A schedule - the very thing you despised, became a godsend to your work. Write for a while in the morning, research on location or online, pick the kids up from school, and then go home to work some more while they do homework. Oh, you didn't realize? You don't work at the courthouse any longer - you survive strictly on writing and photography.

Of course you worry - there are up times and bad times. But every single rejection can never dim the excitement of receiving the acceptance. Just remember that.

You house has been redone to suit you - wood floors throughout and cabinets and a proper office, filled with bookcases. No more dining table or kitchen bar for you!

Congrats, my girl. You made it!!

New Year's Resolutions

2008-12-30T19:42:00.000-05:00

Of course this is the time of year that everyone makes resolutions that they swear they will follow throughout the year. Some of them will succeed, and some will fail. Hopefully, I will succeed in my goals for the year.

1. Send submissions to at least two contests per week or send out two queries per week.

2. Research houses for Turn of the Century: Homes of Jasper, Florida.

3. Work on getting 208 First Street listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

4. Work on getting the Woman's Club listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

5. Write at least one short story every two weeks.

Introduction

2008-12-30T19:34:00.000-05:00

I intend to use this site to promote my work in various areas - writing, history, photography and my explorations of places that I haven't been. I hope to show the most excellent work that I have completed.

I invite you to visit my website devoted to Hamilton County, Florida history: http://www.hamiltoncountyhistory.org/.

I also invite you to view my flickr photo page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/littlethingscreatecharacter/.

I look forward to your comments on my work and hope to hear from everyone soon.